JOIN USMagadi legislator H C Balakrishna's statement on Wednesday that the JD(S) rebel MLAs were ready to hold talks with the party ahead of the March 23 Rajya Sabha polls, has raised eyebrows in the political circles.
"Let them call us. We are ready to discuss," Balakrishna, one of the seven rebel JD(S) MLAs facing a disqualification plea under anti-defection law, told reporters. He was responding to questions on whether the seven legislators were ready to comply with the party's whip to vote for its Rajya Sabha nominee B M Farookh.
According to sources, the rebels fear that they may be disqualified as MLAs. In order to save themselves from that prospect, a deal may be in the offing to support Farookh - and the JD(S) withdrawing its disqualification plea.
Balakrishna, however, took potshots at JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda and state president H D Kumaraswamy. "I don't understand their policy. On one hand, they want us disqualified. On the other hand, they have issued a whip for us to vote. So do they want our votes and our disqualification at the same time? Let them stick to one thing," he said, repeating that the party should "call us for talks."
Balakrishna along with six others - B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, N Cheluvarayaswamy, A B Ramesha Bandisiddegowda, Akhanda Srinivasamurthy, Iqbal Ansari and S Bheema Naik - have quit the JD(S) and want to join the ruling Congress. However, the willingness to hold talks with the JD(S) comes also amid speculation that the Congress may not accommodate them in the upcoming Assembly polls.
The JD(S) had suspended these MLAs for violating the party's whip during the RS polls in 2016. They had voted for Congress instead of the JD(S) nominee Farookh, who ended up losing. "We weren't aware of the whip issued last time. We are better informed about the whip this time," Balakrishna said.